Capital U. freezes tuition for undergrads

Thursday

Oct 31, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 31, 2013 at 11:03 AM

Two more Ohio colleges are cutting costs in response to concerns about sticker shock. Capital University has announced it is freezing tuition next school year for undergraduate students. "The Capital education is in high demand. We believe in its value, and we must keep it affordable and accessible, especially to those least able to pay," President Denvy A. Bowman said.

Encarnacion Pyle, The Columbus Dispatch

Two more Ohio colleges are cutting costs in response to concerns about sticker shock.

Capital University has announced it is freezing tuition next school year for undergraduate students.

"The Capital education is in high demand. We believe in its value, and we must keep it affordable and accessible, especially to those least able to pay," President Denvy A. Bowman said.

Room and board fees, however, will increase by 4 percent - bringing the total sticker price for new and returning undergrads who live on the private liberal-arts campus in Bexley to $41,150. That's $450 more than this year, before financial aid and scholarships are factored, officials said.

In recent years, Capital launched an affordability initiative, created three new grants to help new and returning students make up for dwindling state aid, and increased investment in university-funded financial aid by 38 percent, Bowman said. The school also has cut costs to become leaner.

Ohio Northern University in Ada also announced this week that it will reduce the price of its law school by $8,926, to $24,800. This month, the private northwestern Ohio college said it was reducing tuition for undergraduate students by as much as 25 percent.

Scholarships to current law students might be reduced to make up for the drop in tuition, which means many students won't see a full $8,926 decrease. But no one will pay more next year than they are paying this year, Ohio Northern officials said.

epyle@dispatch.com

@EncarnitaPyle

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